1. Title and Author Photo of book or some other Relevant illustration

2. Setting When does this story take place? (include any important background information.) Where does the story take place? (Country, city or town, etc. Don’t say “at her home, in her school, in the park…”) If there is no named town, make a comparison to a town or city your audience would be familiar with…It is a town like Dalton because…) Is the setting a real place or an event in history? If so, include that. If it is a fantasy setting, include that as well. THINGS To Remember about setting: DESCRIBE the setting so the audience can see the importance to the story. If a character has to survive the woods in the dead of winter-explain that.

3. Genre What genre is this book? (Not just fiction or nonfiction, but the specific type and why/how you know that.) Give evidence to support your opinion. For example, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is realistic or historic fiction because it is set in the South in the 1930’s when minorities faced racism and prejudice. The black characters are treated poorly.

4. Characters Describe the main and important supporting characters. If the book is an important character study like Bud, Not Buddy then focus on the main character. Don’t just tell the character’s role in the book, tell what they are like. For example, “Summer is a 13 year old orphan who has finally found a home. She has a fear of being alone again, and this explains her reaction to her aunt’s sudden death.”

5. Plot Summary Explain how the story opens or begins, and progress through only the most important happenings. Be sure to refer to the climax and make sure the audience understands the problem but DO NOT give the ending or tell how the problem is resolved. You should use literary terms such as flashback, foreshadow, climax, etc when appropriate.

6. Themes or Life Lessons Discuss the things you think the author wants the reader to know or wonder about from the book. You might also mention the mood or tone of the book and whether it complements the theme. For example, Tears of a Tiger makes the reader wonder if it is possible to ever deal with the guilt of causing the death of someone you love, and the mood is very sad and dark throughout the book. The theme is a lesson about life that would apply to ANY reader.

7. Your rating and recommendation Give some sort of rating (numeric, alphabetical or comparative) so that your audience has a point of reference. Why did you enjoy (or not) this book? (action, romance, mystery, etc…) Explain any connections you made with the book and specific things the author did well. Do not mention connections if you don’t have one. Explain who you feel would be most likely to enjoy this book.

8. Additional Information Research a topic that you wondered about and provide information about that to the class. Be sure you present enough information that it is obvious you did some research. You may add photos, audio or video to your information if it will enhance your booktalk. You MUST NOT present information on the book or the author or things you learned FROM the book.

9. Things to think about You should provide information that will make your audience want to read the book you have selected. Do not be so general that we really can’t tell if we would like it. You cannot skip slides. If you are having trouble, ask for help. You can choose any topic that seems logically related to your book as additional information. Ask, if you need help with ideas. TEXT comes before graphics and special effects. Make sure that you have all the necessary information before you start adding graphics. Make sure that the theme you select can be applied to any reader. Be sure you research the topic you choose for additional information carefully and that the connection between the book and the information is clear to the audience. If it is not, tell us why you choose it. PROOF READ…don’t present with errors.